We machine the Bissell 3198A motor housing from 6061-T6 aluminum on 5-axis centers. Wall thickness, bore concentricity, and mounting faces are held to ±0.005 mm. Production starts within 24 hours of drawing approval.
Most failures trace back to one of four shop-floor issues. Here is what each one costs you.
On a thin-wall aluminum housing, thermal growth and tool wear push the bore out of round. The rotor then rubs the stator wall, draws higher current, and shows up as a vibration complaint in the field. A ±0.005 mm process window with in-process probing catches the drift before it becomes a shipped defect.
Deep pockets in the 3198A housing have long tool overhang. Without the right fixture and cutter geometry, the boss face chatters, flatness fails, and the mating cover leaks or seats crooked. We control tool length-to-diameter ratio and use rigid workholding to keep the face clean.
A housing machined to a stale drawing will not fit the new end bell. Catching that at assembly is expensive. We lock the approved revision at first article, and every batch ships with an inspection report traceable to that revision.
Hardcoat anodizing adds thickness on tight bores and threads, so a part that passed inspection can fail assembly. We mask sealing surfaces and threads, and we machine dimensions with the coating allowance built in before the finish goes on.
One machined part, three things that have to hold together: bore geometry, face flatness, and coating allowance.
A Bissell 3198A housing is a thin-wall shell with a bored stator pocket, a mounting flange, and small bolt patterns. Each feature is easy on its own. The trouble starts when you move the part between machines and re-datum it.
We cut the bore, the flange face, and the bolt pattern in one 5-axis setup wherever the geometry allows. That keeps concentricity between the bore axis and the mounting face inside ±0.005 mm without stacking fixture error on top of machine error.
6061-T6 is the default for this housing class. It machines cleanly, holds a good surface finish, and gives enough stiffness for a thin-wall shell without the cost of a steel part. Tensile strength is around 310 MPa, which is more than a small motor enclosure needs.
If the housing has to survive heat cycling or a corrosive wash environment, we can quote 6063 for better finish consistency or 7075 where stiffness matters more. The finish is where most dimensional surprises come from, so we plan it up front.
Match the stage of your program to the right process and material.
| Program stage | Recommended material | Process and reason |
|---|---|---|
| Fit and function prototype | 6061-T6 | 3-axis or 5-axis milling; fast, cheap to revise |
| Pilot build, 100–500 pcs | 6061-T6 or 6063 | 5-axis with soft jaws; consistent bore size |
| Production, 10,000+ pcs | ADC12 die casting | Cast blank, then CNC finish the bore and faces |
| High-vibration mount | 7075-T6 | Higher stiffness keeps the bore round under load |
| Wash-down environment | 6061-T6 + hardcoat | Corrosion resistance with masked fits |
| Tight finish requirement | 6063-T5 | More uniform anodized appearance, fewer streaks |
One supplier from prototype to production, so the drawing does not get re-interpreted at each step.
Sixteen simultaneous 5-axis centers. Complex housing geometry cut in fewer setups, which means tighter position tolerance between features.
Mill-turn centers handle housings with turned end features in one cycle, avoiding a second fixture and a second datum.
Get a fit-check part before you commit to tooling. Useful for confirming bore clearance against the actual stator stack.
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, bead blasting, and laser marking. Coating allowances are planned at the drawing stage.
For high-volume runs, cast the shell in ADC12 and machine only the critical bore, flange, and bolt holes.
For brackets, covers, and mounting plates that go with the housing, so assembly hardware comes from one source.
Numbers you can check against your drawing before you send it.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm fine; Ra 0.8–1.6 μm standard |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm on large travel machines |
| Compact machine travel | 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 500 × 310 × 200 mm |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm for round features |
| Inspection | Raw material check, in-process monitoring, 100% final inspection |
| Reports | Inspection reports available on request |
| Certifications | ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 27001:2022 |
Six things that decide whether a housing program runs smoothly or turns into a rework loop.
Fifteen years of production machining across automotive, electronics, and industrial machinery. Three wholly-owned plants covering 7,600 m².
Not a best-case number. It is the window our process and inspection routine are built around, verified with in-process probing.
Sixteen 5-axis centers, twelve 4-axis mills, twenty-seven 3-axis machines, and sixteen mill-turn centers under one roof.
Send a STEP file and get a quotation plus free DFM feedback within twelve hours. Thin walls and tight corners get flagged before cutting starts.
Once the drawing and first-article plan are approved, production can begin within a day. No waiting on a scheduling queue.
Every part is inspected. Reports trace to the approved revision, which keeps mixed-revision batches off your assembly line.
Housings that hold a small motor and bolt to a chassis bracket. Bore position and flange flatness drive fit and noise.
Thin-wall aluminum shells where appearance and fit both matter. Anodized finish with masked sealing faces.
Before committing to a 10,000-part run, confirm bore clearance against the real stator stack and end bell.
A STEP or IGES file covers most housings. If you only have a 2D drawing, send that with the PDF and we will work from it.
Include the material, finish, and any tolerances that differ from the title block. If a bore or face is critical, mark it so we can plan the setup around it.
6061-T6 is the default. It machines cleanly, anodizes predictably, and has enough strength for a small motor enclosure.
Choose 6063 if the anodized appearance matters more than strength. Choose 7075 if the housing sees high vibration and you need the bore to stay round under load. Each adds cost, so only move if the application demands it.
Hardcoat anodizing adds thickness, and that thickness lands on every surface, including bores and threads. A part that passed inspection can fail assembly because of it.
We mask sealing surfaces and threads, and we machine the dimensions with the coating allowance built in. Tell us the finish before we cut, not after.
Yes, within limits. Wall thickness under about 1.5 mm on a 6061 housing gets harder to hold, especially around a large bore.
We use low-clamp fixtures, light finishing passes, and stress-relieved stock where needed. If a wall is too thin for the tolerance you want, we will say so in the DFM notes rather than quote it and hope.
One prototype to 10,000+ parts. There is no minimum order quantity.
For prototype quantities we machine from plate or bar. For production runs above a few thousand pieces, die casting the shell and CNC finishing the critical features usually lowers the unit cost.
We lock the approved revision at first article. The inspection report for every later batch traces back to that same revision number.
If your drawing changes, tell us before the next run. We re-quote or confirm the change in writing so the shop floor is not cutting to a stale file.
Every part is inspected before shipment: raw material check, in-process monitoring, and final inspection. Reports are available on request.
For IATF 16949 programs we can supply dimensional reports against the drawing's critical characteristics. Tell us the report format your quality team needs.
Yes. Uploads are secure and confidential, and we can sign an NDA before you send any files.
ISO 27001:2022 covers our information security process. If your company has its own NDA template, we will review and sign it.
Upload a STEP file and we will return a price with DFM notes. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and every part is inspected before it ships.
12-hour quote100% inspectionOne-off to 10,000+NDA on request
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Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
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